Players should focus on ODI series against India rather than IPL auction: Kieron Pollard

West Indies is currently playing the ODI series opener against India at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. They have got off to a good start to their match and have castled the top order of the hosts that comprise of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma in the early phase of the game. However, ahead of the 1st ODI, Kieron Pollard had revealed about the advice he gave to his players.

He urged his teammates to not get carried away with IPL 2020 auction that is going to take place on December 19 in Kolkata. It will be a big opportunity for the visiting players to perform well in the longer format and put their case forward strongly in front of the franchises. But, Kieron Pollard feels his team should just concentrate on their game.

Kieron Pollard opines on IPL 2020 auction 

During T20I series some of the players that hogged the spotlight were Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer and Kesrick Williams among a few. It will be interesting to watch whether these players will be rewarded for their good show.

Kieron Pollard, the West Indies skipper said that it is a great thing to be the part of IPL because it helps players financially as well as they get to play alongside some of the best in the business. But, that should not be the only thing on players mind and they should just focus on their performances according to the Caribbean skipper.

“Getting selected in the IPL is out of your control. What’s in your control is to go out and perform. Yes, playing in the IPL augurs well financially and experience-wise for the cricketers, but it is not something which should be at the forefront of your minds. You should have the will power to do well every time you get a chance to play irrespective of the tournament,” Kieron Pollard said in the pre-match conference of 1st ODI.

The 32-year-old has been playing for Mumbai Indians since 2010 and has become a vital part for the “Blue” army. He feels that getting into the IPL is not easy and a player needs to play at a certain level outside the league as well to get picked up. It is well known that this T20 league offers some of the best coaches that help the cricketers to learn new and important things. Moreover, it gives a new dimension to a players game with some newly added weapons.

“You learn a lot from the IPL. You have the best players playing. There’s no doubt about it. Some of the greatest coaches are there too. In terms of learning and adapting to different situations, it is a huge benefit. But you can be there to get that sort of knowledge only if your performances outside the IPL are at a certain level,” he added.

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